The European Championship round of 16 is set, and the heavyweight matchup in the top half is one to look forward to. Speaking about the upcoming opponent, France, Portugal defender Nuno Mendes said he is “ready” if he has to go head-to-head with his former Paris teammate Mbappe on the pitch.
Mendes plays left-back and has played alongside the French captain for the past three seasons, but now they will be facing each other for their respective countries at the European Championship. Mendes believes that years of collaboration have made them both very familiar with each other and he is not afraid of a possible one-on-one confrontation. Mendes said: “We both play on the left side, I don’t think he will switch positions to my side very often, but if that happens, I am ready. I train for this moment every day, and the whole team is eager to play. France has many great players, but so do we.”
So far, Portugal’s figurehead Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored in this European Championship and even missed a penalty in extra time in the round of 16, failing to give Portugal the lead, which made Nuno Mendes feel regretful: “Usually Ronaldo supports all of us, but this time the situation is reversed, we all support him. It’s a difficult moment for him and us. We are willing to help him.”
Mendes also emphasized the team’s unity and confidence in the upcoming games. He said: “We are a very united team, and that is our biggest strength to win. Diogo Costa made three amazing saves, unbelievable. We won the game, and victory gives everyone strength. We want to bring joy to people, so we will do our best to win.”
Mendes had high praise for head coach Martinez: “We are like a big family, the coach does everything he can to make the players feel good on and off the field, that is his most outstanding characteristic. We are able to prepare for the game in good physical and mental condition.”
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